Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-04-14
WASHINGTON NEWS.

v Il L. Y Y j.
The Lighthouse Board is preparing to be-
gin construction of Z lighthouse at Pipe
island and Marquette, Mich.
The coinage of the minis during the month
OF March was So 1e6, 9o6. of which SIS 03o 30
was in standard silver dollars.
The Pension-Oifice issued 1000 pension
certificates FRIDAY. This is said to be the
largest number ever issued in one day.
The Interstate commerce commission has
selected as permanent quarters the fifth
floor OF The Sun building. The annual
rental is So, 600.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
having made a request for temporary
clerical assistant the Secretary of the In
terror detailed Maj S. A. Jonas of that office
for that duty,
The bureau of labor has twenty-nine
agents in the field investigating strikes and
lockoutS from 1881 TO 1856 inclusive. The
agents are all inquiring into the condition of
worklngmen in the cities and cost OF pro-
duction and distribution of staple articles
Secretary Fairchld has appointed MesSrs.
John 2. Irish, w. S. Bryant, and John f.
swirl commission 10 select and purchase
property IN San Francisco on which 10 erect
a suitable building for a poStOffice and court
house. There is $500, 900 available for the
purchase.
During the week ended March 26th 1872
hnal homestead entries were approved by
the commissioner OF the General Land
O11ce, 5S4 final timber-culture entries
desert land entries, and 751 cash tint er-land
entries making total of l $50 land patents
approved. There are Sc, los cases pending
before the office.
The secretary of the interior has requested
the secretary of war to place the western
portion of Indian Territory including Ok
lahoma, under the jurisdiction and control
OF single army officer, with instructions to
exercise extreme vigilance in the matter of
preventing an expected invasion of the
territory by boomers during the coming
spring and summer.
Acting Secretary Muldrow has sustained
the decision of Commissioner Sparks in the
case of Todd Knopple of Lamar, Col The
decision holds that qualified pre-emptOr
who has exercised the right of filing and
perfectlng an entry on the Usage trust and
diminishing the reserved lands in Kansas,
under the act of May IS, 1880, has exhausted
his presumption right to all other lands.
The civil-Service commission announces
that 1T IS with difficulty that it is able to
supply the departmental demand for male
StenographerS who are also type-wrterS, and
suggests that competent persons outside OF
the district of Columbia who CONTEMPLATE
passing clvll-Servlce examination ia StenO-
graphy and type-writing do so at once
Salaries in this branch of public service range
from ST. 900 to 81, 800 per annunl.
In connection with the appointment of the
Pacific railroad commission it is said thst the
president will not be in hurry to make il
up, as after consultation with men posted as
to the character OF the work to be doue, he has
decided that it would not be practicable to
complete the investigation in time to submit
the report to the next congress. 1t is Under
stood that congress at the next session, will
be asked to extend the time in which the
commission may present its report
There is much uneasineSS among en-
piOyeS OF the Government Printing Office as
to the tenure of the situations The adj
jOurnment OF Congress left the force of about
one hundred men employed on the Record
out of work. The Public Printer, however.
wished to retain the best OF them in the
office, and consequently placed them in
other departments. This made reduction
Of force necessary, and each week since the
adjournment a number of discharges have
been made.
A novel claim has been presented at the
treasury department.. Some time ago the
customs collector at Portland, Oregon, seized
thiItv-nine small cans, each of which was
designated as prepared opium. and all were
sold as such at the rate of Sc per can,
Chnaman being the innocent purchaser. |
Subsequently he found that tWenty-nine of !
the cans contained oatmeal, worth about 81, |
for which he had paid STA. He now asks
that the collector be directed to refund the
money PAID.
The president has appointed George w.
Gordon af Tennessee to be a commissioner
to select a diminished reservation for the
eonfAderated bands of Cayuse, Walla-W aIla,
and UmatilIa Indians, vice George R. Pear
son, resigned. These government directors
of the Union Pacific railroad company
whose terms have expired were reappointed:
Frederick L. Coudert of New York, Frank
lin MacVeagh of Chicago, Alexander Has
kell of Columbia, g., Marcus A. Hanna of
Cleveland, o., and James w. Savage of
Omaha, Neb.
Judge Maynard continues to act as second
OF the treasurer, and will not
assume his new duties as assistant secretary
until Wednesday next. The delay in MAX
desire to dispose of certain important matters
pending in the second comptrollerS office.
lie IS pushing them as muca AS possible, as |
he realizes the necessity of pro- ptIy relieving
Secretary FaiIchild OF that part of his duties
relating TO the customs branch Of service. |
Nothing is settled in regard to the treasurer
ship or The second cOmptrOlIerShp.
The secretary of the interior recently sub |
mItted to the first comptroller OF the treasury
for an opinion the question as to whether any
of the expenses OF the interstate commerce
commission can be paid out of the cOntin- |
gent fund OF the interior department. The |
first comptroller has informed him that the |
fund can not be used for the pur |
pose indicated; that the appropriation Of
500, 600 made in section % OF the act Great |
JilC 10 Tie UlOIlHN llldG Is
now available for its expenses, office rent, |
clerks hire, transportation, stationery, and |
everything else. He says that this amount |
will probably be sufficient up to the meeting |
OF congress, when, if it is necessary, de- /
iciency appropriation can be secured.
NEW DRY-D0CKs.
Secretary Whitney has approved the report |
OF the board appointed to select the sites for
the two dry-docks authorized by the last |
congress. The docks will be located at the |
New York and Norfolk navy-yards and will |
be built by contract on the general plan of |
the Simpson dry-docks. They will be con-
structed Of timber, and the dimensions will |
be as follows: Length, 4S5 feet; width at |
the top, 125 feet; width at the bottom, 60 |
feet The amount available for their con- |
Struction is 81, 100, 600. The New York dock |
will cost more than the dock at Norfolk ow
ing to the difficulty of obtaining good foun-
dation.
THE SOLDIERS HOMES.
Complaints are being made to the officials
in charge Of the management of the soldiers
homes throughout the country that many Of
them are occupied principally by veterans
who draw pensions large enough 10 support
them comfortably elsewhere, while veterans
with va email ransippE and who draw